The present invention relates to mobile terminal devices having the capability of communicating via different communication connections. The present invention relates to user devices that can access services via more than one data transfer connection, e.g. via UMTS and Bluetooth. It also relates to programs and applications executable in a mobile terminal device with a minimized requirement of user interaction. More specifically the invention relates to a simple method to adapt the settings of applications in a mobile terminal device, according to actually accessible, available or selected communication connections.
Future devices will have the ability to access remote services via multiple interfaces, e.g. via UMTS (when travelling), via a short range wireless connection like a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (when not moving fast), or via a wired connection such as the Ethernet or the like (when stationary).
As such access technologies have significantly different characteristics, users may wish to change the configurations of applications depending on the access technology currently used. As an example, limited bandwidths of UMTS may be suitable for the use with services that require low data rates, while a Bluetooth connection would permit using the same service at much higher data rates and thereby quality. Furthermore, cost might be different depending on the access technology and users do not want to waste money by using cost-ineffective data connections.
As an example, limited data rates of GSM (<50 kbit/s) may be suitable for the use with services that require low data rates, while a Bluetooth connection (>500 kbit/s) would permit the use of the same service at much higher data rate and thereby quality. Furthermore, the cost of accessing a network might be different depending on the access technology (Bluetooth for free, UMTS maybe costly) and it would be beneficial for the user if the device would be configurable taking such differences into account.
The state of the art provides e.g. a “Method and system for increasing the quality of service at or below a threshold cost” of EP 0 848 560 A2 by Siemens Business Communication systems, which relates to the control of the selection of a data transfer connection in accordance with a predetermined threshold cost. In this document the selection of the data transfer connection is executed according to predetermined optimization algorithms, to provide the service with the best transmission quality at a given cost. The document describes an automatic data transmission connection selection, but not a simplification of the access or application parameters of a certain application.
The cited document further describes an automated data transfer channel selection, but does not adapt the configurations of applications of the mobile terminal device, because the selected channel has to provide a predefined quality of service, to be selected. If a channel does not fit the desired quality standard of the application, the channel is not selected, and therefore the characteristics of the application do not need to be adapted.
The state of the art also provides document WO 01/35689 A1 by NOKIA NETWORKS OY relating to a “Data transmission method and Network system” that is capable of selecting a data bearer according to predetermined data bearer selection parameters. This document also does not describe an easy and simple way to set the parameters of certain applications.
Both documents fail to describe the adaptation of application configurations according to the selection of a certain data transfer connection.
If the selectable data connections depend on different transfer modes, with different transfer properties, it is desirable to fit the performances of the transfer channel and an application using that channel, to optimize the overall performance.